A Change of Plans
by Zlitzen321
Summary: AU Mergana fic. Morgana likes control and order, her relationship with Merlin has neither. However, this new wrench in the Morgana machine might just be her downfall. After all, what kind of control freak deals well with unexpected motherhood?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own a temperamental computer and lots of homework, and if I owned Merlin, then I would treat myself to a ski vacation in France. As of yet, my butt rests in the South, completely snowless…**

This was a game changer.

Morgana prided herself on her borderline-obsessive planning, mapping out every single possibility before making a well informed and level-headed decision. This was neither.

She blamed it on Merlin; the charming, seemingly naïve man who had stolen her heart. Ever since he waltzed into her life, many of her well laid plans were thrown out of the window. He opened his arms to hold her, his chest to cry upon, his mouth to kiss, his bed to lie in and she fell into them without hesitation or care.

That was what had gotten her into the predicament she was now facing, sitting on the edge of the bathtub in his apartment and looking at the detrimental little stick in front of her. From it, a cheerful bright pink plus sign was telling her POSITIVE. Hundreds of women hoped, begged, pleaded and prayed for this little miracle. It was almost cruel that it should happen to someone who hadn't planned it, who didn't want it.

They had been careful, of that she was sure. There was a strict condom rule that was tediously followed, and if someone forgot, it was up to the other person to remind them of the consequences-This.

She had meant to take the test to her home, but his apartment was closer. Or that's what she had told herself, the truth lying somewhere in the fact that she wouldn't know what to do if the test was positive. She was half scared that she would do something she would regret later.

Now, all she could think about were her plans. There were so many, running around in her head like little mice on a wheel. She was set to inherit one-half of Camelot, the great trading empire run by her father, Uther. She was going to take over the fashion and "girly" aspect of the company, while her half-brother, Arthur, would take the natural resources section. It was going perfectly, everything according to plan, carefully laid dominos falling into place. At least, it was like that, until Arthur got a new assistant.

Merlin was not her type at all; tall but gangly with huge ears, beautiful blue eyes, and a heart of priceless gold. Maybe that's why they were so good together, because they were opposites.

Morgana wanted a life in the big city; with fast cars, gorgeous clothes, heading a corporation along with a virtually unlimited credit card. Merlin was only in the city because his mother felt it would be good for him to be away from home before he came back to run the family Bed and Breakfast in Wales. He had degrees in psychology, math, and business management, but this was what he wanted; to return to his hometown, settle down, and live the rest of his life in peace.

In many ways, they wanted similar things, but from very different situations. How would this ever work?

Her mind briefly thought of ending the pregnancy, no doubt that's what her father would want, as he had never fully approved of her relationship with Merlin. The idea made her faintly nauseous however, and she pushed the thought away as quickly as it had come.

This little life was special, precious. In that moment Morgana felt a protectiveness creep into her that she didn't even know existed. She was suddenly reminded of a conversation she had with her own mother, mere weeks before she died in a car crash.

"Having a child changes you. From the moment you find out you carry this gift, everything becomes centered on it. What food you eat, whether you smoke or drink, and whether or not the father of your child even deserves to be in its life, as was the case with you sugar blossom and as it will be for your children too."

Morgana ate a fairly balanced diet, or so she hoped. She had stopped smoking after her 21st birthday, but the drinking… Now that she thought about it, she had drunk recently. Not like she used to do with her friends when they were younger, but she'd definitely had a glass of wine with dinner or a casual drink with her best friend, Gwen.

Gwen! What would she think? She approved of Merlin, but could be a bit old-fashioned, especially about pre-marital sex. A point that often infuriated poor Arthur, who was Gwen's steady boyfriend of at least a year or so.

All of these thoughts were running around, scratching the inside of Morgana's head while the loudest thought was, "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO TELL MERLIN?"

The question was soon answered as she heard the front door open.

"Morgana, are you here? I talked with your secretary; she said you weren't feeling well and went home…. This isn't some sort of elaborate plot to seduce me, is it?"

He turned to enter the bathroom, and was startled by the sight of Morgana sitting on the edge of the bathtub, fully clothed and deep in thought, staring at something resting on the toilet.

"Hey, snow flower. Are you okay?" Merlin knelt down on the floor next to her. He followed her line of gaze to the little stick and froze.

Morgana finally broke the silence;

"This test is 99.7% accurate, the best and most reliable one that money can buy. I'm so sorry…" with that, tears began to slide down her cheeks, smearing her previously flawless make-up.

The last part caught Merlin's attention more than the first. Pulling Morgana onto the floor with him, Merlin rocked her gently and whispered in her ear.

"And what could you possibly be sorry for? Making me the happiest man on earth?" he looked into her eyes, "I love you, and I love this baby, and whether or not you believe me now, we will be happy together, no matter what."

They stayed there for hours, Morgana crying into Merlin's chest, and he rocking her gently, back and forth, as one might do with a child. Neither wanting to speak their minds, neither wanting to think of the past, or of the future; they would have been content to sit there for the rest of their lives, but people, especially pregnant women, need to be fed. So the young couple left the floor, and went off to face the world, though they could never predict where their journey would end up taking them.

**AN: Oooookay… no idea where that came from, but it popped into my head and wouldn't leave! :/ So this is why I am up way too late on a school night, not even doing my real story ****A Most Interesting Tale****, because I'm crazy *sigh* It was supposed to be a One-Shot, but now I have little plot bunnies running around in my head, so I think it will probably be longer. Review please! I want to know what y'all think!**


	2. Chapter 2: Under the Weather

**Disclaimer: I own a temperamental computer and lots of homework, and if I owned Merlin, then I would treat myself to a ski vacation in France. As of yet, my butt rests in the South, completely snowless… (though now with 8-10 inches of water – Yikes!)**

**Under the Weather**

"And this will cut the production rates by almost 2.34%, saving of over…"

Morgana was sure that whatever the young man in the overly expensive and obviously brand-new suit was saying was extremely important, but she somehow couldn't bring herself to care. She smirked at the irony of this current situation. Arthur, the one who could be counted on not to pay attention, was hanging onto every word the suit-man said while Morgana, who made a point to attend every meeting possible, was not thinking about anything except the time. Only one more hour, and she would be on her way to her first doctor's appointment. Simply put, she was terrified.

So many things could go wrong, including the fact that she might not be pregnant at all, though that was unlikely. Morgana thought back to the calming words Merlin had whispered into her ear after giving her lunch;

"Relax, breathe, everything will be alright."

She repeated it like a mantra in her head, '_Relax, breathe, everything will be alright. Relax, breathe, everything will be alright. Relax, breathe, everything will be alright_…" But what if it wouldn't?

"Morgana!" Arthur's whisper shook Morgana from her thoughts.

"What?"

"Are you alright, you look a bit pale."

"No, I'm fine. I just feel a bit um, under the weather." This was no stretch of the truth; even before she took the pregnancy test, she had been constantly nauseous. Another of the key signs that caused Morgana to buy the damn test in the first place.

"Do you want to go home? I can have the car take you." Arthur's voice had lowered even further and he was now speaking directly into her ear. The compassion that laced his words gave Morgana a rush of affection for her only brother.

"No, I'm fine. Don't worry about it. I'm visiting the doctor in an hour anyways."

"Are you sick?"

"Maybe, not that it's any of your business. There are other reasons that women go to the doctor besides being sick."

"Are you pregnant or something?" he elbowed her ribs and grinned, not noticing how quickly Morgana paled or how nervous she stuttered out,

"Of- of course not, what gave you that idea?"

Morgana left the building and went directly to the parking garage, searching for Merlin's beat-up, baby blue car that had driven around the world at least twice. Finding it, she made her way over, but stopped once she saw the handsome young owner of the car was on his cell phone.

"Everything's fine mum, don't worry. I know, I know. Of course Gaius is fine, stubborn as ever. Okay, I'll tell her. Bye mum. I love you too." He hung up and turned around, finally seeing Morgana standing behind the car.

"Hello there, beautiful. How are you feeling?"

With those simple words, Merlin melted the last reserves of Morgana's dignity and she ran into his arms. She felt like a small child seeking refuge in the arms of a loving father, despite her business suit and heels.

Pressed up against his chest, Morgana could smell the many herbs that Merlin had spent his day prescribing. He spent Tuesdays, Thursdays, and weekends working with his father's old acquaintance, Gaius, in his apothecary; Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays being spent serving Arthur's crazy whims.

"Can we go, please? I don't want to be here anymore." Merlin nodded, and opened her door. He was always such a gentleman, a refreshing break from the society that a woman of Morgana's standards kept.

"So what did Hunith say?" Morgana inquired as they left the garage.

"She wants us to visit in two weeks, when Ealdor quiets down after the tourists leave." Ealdor was the Bed and Breakfast that was practically the center of his life. "I was thinking, and I think we should tell my mum about the baby first." Merlin glanced at Morgana nervously, "I just think that she would be a little more…open minded than Uther. The fact that we're not married, or engaged even, being the only thing that would set her off."

Marriage. The dangerous little M word that the pair had been studiously avoiding throughout their relationship. They loved one another, without a doubt, but they were living in a state of constant fear of moving forward beyond that. Each had their dreams set in stone, and neither was sure if they would be able to give up those dreams without blaming the other person. For Merlin, owning Ealdor was showing loyalty to the sacrifices of past generations. For Morgana, owning Camelot was showing her stubborn determination to succeed and a stick in the eye of all of the people who said she was nothing but a pretty face, with no real brain or heart to speak of.

"I think it's a good idea. You're definitely right about her being more open minded than Uther. He still treats me as if I'm a child! I am a grown woman who can make her own decisions about how I want to live my life. Why can't he see that?" She was thinking of the discussion that she'd had with her father the day before she had taken the pregnancy test. He was urging her to "tone down" or even possibly end her relationship with Merlin, as he felt it was "improper" for a woman of her standing to be associating with someone so "inferior".

Merlin, stopping the little car for a red light, tucked a fly-away lock of hair behind Morgana's ear and looked into her eyes.

"It's his way of loving you; you know that. He believes that if you're locked away from the rest of the world, maybe he can save you from its evils."

Morgana did know; but it was still annoying when Uther treated her like a fragile china doll instead of a fully grown woman.

They pulled into the front entrance of the hospital, leaving the little blue car with the valet before heading inside.

The wait was not long before the nurse called for a "Miss. LeFay". Morgana hadn't changed her name after being adopted by Uther, as it was one of the few things that still linked her to her mother.

After being taken to an examination room, a nurse came in and asked her dozens of questions;

"How long since your last period? Can you describe to me some of the symptoms you've been experiencing?" and so on.

Another nurse came in and drew blood, both from Morgana and Merlin, telling them about the different things that it would be screened for.

Morgana's height and weight were noted and she was then required to give a urine sample. By the time her doctor came in to perform the vaginal exam, Morgana was more than a little unnerved; Merlin's thumb rubbing softly against her hand became the only thing keeping her sane.

"Before we begin, do the two of you have any questions?" Morgana's OB/GYN, Dr. Alice Curador, asked in a gentle voice.

Glancing at Morgana, Merlin asked, "What were those tests for? I mean, do they really need all of those samples? Do you think something is wrong?" his tone becoming slightly frantic at the end.

Morgana squeezed his hand, relieved that he was just as scared as she was; Alice smiled.

"The tests we run at this point are standard procedure; making sure that if there is a problem, it is caught early enough to be treated. As both you and Morgana are young, healthy people, your baby is most likely going to be just fine." She went on to talk about the importance of nutrition and drinking lots of water, before having Merlin go into the hall so she could examine Morgana.

The couple waited for another fifteen minutes while the lab results came in. All appeared to be well, and they were sent home with the names of reference books that would answer any other questions the new parents might have.

"Well, that took longer than I expected." Merlin said, looking up at the darkening sky. "Is it okay if we eat at my place? I think its closer."

"Oh, sure; I'm not feeling all that well anyways." Morgana squeezed Merlin's hand, their fingers entwined together as they left the hospital and headed home.

As they drove, hands still locked over the center consul, Morgana again thought back to her conversation with Uther. She concluded that of a man like Merlin was what her father considered "inferior", then Uther himself was an ignorant imbecile, nothing more than a common monkey. This thought would entertain her for the rest of the evening, as she imagined Uther in a gorilla costume.

**A/N- I want to thank all of the amazingly awesome SUPERTASTIC people that commented, favored and subscribed to this story. Y'all totally made my day :D. I would have updated sooner, but we had this HUGE thunder storm last night that lasted for almost 8 hours and was completely terrifying :O. Love it, hate it, need clarification? Tell me! I'm open to any and all reviews and critiques, so hit me up! **


	3. Chapter 3: Clockwork

**Disclaimer: I own a temperamental computer and lots of homework, and if I owned Merlin, then I would treat myself to a ski vacation in France. As of yet, my butt rests in the South, completely snowless…**

**Clockwork**

8:15pm

Merlin winced as he looked at his watch, steeling himself for the next hour as he stood outside of Morgana's apartment door. Almost every woman who is or has been pregnant would tell you that "morning sickness" is a misnomer for "puking your guts up/feeling awful any time of the day". Morgana was quickly joining their ranks.

Every evening, like clockwork, she could be found in the closest bathroom, emptying her stomach of the day's contents. This had been a daily occurrence since they had visited the doctor almost two weeks ago, and Merlin was thankful that up to this point, they had managed to wriggle their way out of any dinner invitation that was thrown at them.

Opening the door, Merlin stepped into the chic and modern flat, locking the door behind him. He called out softly before locating Morgana in the bathroom next to her bedroom, leaning against the wall.

"Hey," he said, walking in. She groaned in response.

"Do you want something, tea, maybe?" Right as she was about to answer, she vomited again, clutching desperately at the toilet seat as if it were her lifeline.

Merlin felt a pang of guilt as he held Morgana's hair out of her face, wishing he could do more. Nothing they had tried so far had worked in curing the 'evening sickness', as they called it. Peppermint tea would sometimes soothe her stomach, but other times, there was no choice but to suffer through.

Spitting and flushing, Morgana sat back against the cool wall before croaking out, "Tea would be nice."

As he got up, Merlin kissed her forehead and whispered "I love you" into her ear. Going into the kitchen, he noticed her hastily removed shoes and coat. Tonight must have been a close one.

While the kettle was boiling, Merlin got Morgana some pajama pants and an old t-shirt, assuming she would want to be free of her constricting designer suit.

He brought the tea, clothes, and some crackers in on a rather large book, setting them gently on the floor while Morgana again worshiped the porcelain king.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" Morgana muttered, smiling slightly as she took the cup of tea.

"I don't know, but you certainly teased me badly enough about my poor ears." Said Merlin, joining her on the floor and fingering the offended appendages.

"It was one time!"

"Riiiight…" He pulled her head down onto his shoulder.

"How was Arthur today, did he work you to death?"

"Work me to death, no. Drive me absolutely bonkers, yes." Replied Merlin, rolling his eyes. "What about you?"

"Awful; Uther wants to have dinner sometime this week, and I told him no for obvious reasons." Morgana gestured vaguely at the toilet, "But he won't take no for an answer."

"Meet him for lunch then"

"He's never free for lunch."

"We'll figure something out then; even if we have to start making up random excuses about our non-existent pet. You can't have evening sickness forever."

"Dear God I hope not. That would be…not good." And as if on cue, she leant over and vomited again.

"True, so would having your father learn about his future grandchild by having you puke in his lap." Said Merlin in a pondering sort of voice.

Morgana nodded, "Until this is over, we're avoiding Dinner like the plague."

Here she was, stuck in yet _another _meeting about some sort of financial thing that should interest her more than it actually did. She should be home packing, as she and Merlin were setting off early tomorrow morning on the four hour drive to his quiet hometown. Unfortunately, this was "very important" and she must attend it, especially if she was going to be gone tomorrow.

A notice popped up on her phone's screen, she was to see Uther before she left. It seemed there was some urgent matter that couldn't possibly wait until Monday. She sighed.

Just when Morgana thought that the meeting couldn't get any longer, it was dismissed, leaving her to scurry from her seat and walk to Uther's secretary's desk.

"I need to see the senior Mr. Pendragon, as soon as possible. Please." She added, almost as an afterthought, remembering Merlin's lecture about the proper treatment of her subordinates and how it would help gain people's trust.

The secretary, a pretty, tall, bleach-blonde with the intelligence of a walnut, looked up from her computer with a bored expression on her face.

"I'm sorry he's on a call right now, would you like to leave a message?" Morgana wondered if it was possible to make that simple phrase sound even more uninteresting and bland, then decided probably not. Merlin's philosophy was not working.

"No, I would like to speak to him personally. Now, if you will." Uther was the one who wanted to see her in the first place; she was not going to be deprioritized at the last minute.

Just then, Uther emerged from his office, and Morgana was able to catch his attention.

"Father, you wanted to see me?"

"Thank you again, Mr. Alghradi, we here at Camelot look forward to doing business with you." After shaking hands with his new client and seeing him into the lobby, Uther then turned and finally addressed Morgana. "Yes; please, tell me again, what matter must you attend to that requires you to take an entire day off?" Morgana bristled;

"That is none of your concern; I have every right to take a day off."

'_Especially after the dozens of hours I spend in unpaid overtime, working to help ensure that your company runs smoothly in addition to the fact that I am ahead in my work and haven't taken a long weekend in over six months_.' She added in her head, knowing that for all of her nerve, she would never say such a thing to his face.

"Now Morgana," began Uther in a patronizing tone, but he was cut off.

"I will see you later father" With that, Morgana turned on her heel and strode towards the elevators, determined that she would have the last word.

"You are to dine with me tonight, eight o'clock on the dot at The Chineoba. Don't be late." And with that, the great and mighty Uther Pendragon swept from the room, leaving his daughter to deal with her tumultuous thoughts. He always did have to one-up everyone, didn't he?

7:47pm

"We could still call in sick, or tell him we had to leave early, _anything_ to get us out of this."

"Don't be such a baby Merlin, everything will be fine. I don't want Uther to think that he intimidates us."

"Easy enough for you to say; he hasn't threatened to string you up from the rafters by your balls."

8:01pm

"This was a bad idea, I want to go home."

"We can't go now, they've seen us."

"Damn it, Merlin. Why do you have to be right?"

"Can I get that in writing?"

"Morgana, there you are!" boomed Uther, as he noticed the couple standing by the entrance of the restaurant. "You're late, as usual. Surely you remember the lovely Ms. Catrina Tregor, and her son Cedric." He clapped the shoulder of the young man standing next to him. "His girlfriend of six months recently left him for some futbol star, isn't that right Cedric?"

Cedric mumbled something incoherent and shuffled his feet uncomfortably, and Merlin cleared his throat and held out his hand for Uther to shake.

"So nice to see you again Mr. Pendragon, might we sit down?"

Calling over the waiter, Uther then began to talk about the great and many accomplishments of a certain Cedric Tregor, with help from the poor victim's mother.

Cedric, for his part, managed to look ashamed and completely mortified about his mother and her boyfriend setting him up with Morgana while her boyfriend stood confidently next to her, holding her hand.

Merlin was concentrating on not punching Uther in the face (which would not win him any favor points whatsoever) and scouting out various places where he might have to take Morgana when 8:15 rolled around.

Morgana was trying to act inconspicuous, hoping to fade out of focus so that she might slip away to the bathroom without Uther asking a thousand and one questions. It wasn't working.

Everyone sat down around a table covered in pure white linens with beautiful embroidery on which sat some of the finest dishes and silverware. The pre-ordered hor d'oeuvres were presented with a flourish by the extremely polite (and well paid) staff, and the drinks were ordered by the finely dressed patrons.

"Morgana, I've taken the liberty to order some of your favorite Cabernet, which Cedric coincidentally also enjoys. Would you like some?" Uther motioned for the waiter to fill her glass.

"Oh, um, not tonight, father. I haven't been feeling well, and the alcohol will only add to my addled brain." Morgana quickly replied, shooting a panicked glance at Merlin who was now staring down the waiter hovering confusedly over Morgana.

"Oh, you poor dear; let us hope it is not something too catching." Catrina cut in smoothly, sensing the discomfort floating around the table. "My friend Olga always says…"

Whatever it was that Catrina's friend Olga always said was suddenly not very important to Morgana, as she happened to look at Merlin's watch and see the innocent little numbers that read 8:14:59pm.

8:15pm

She braced herself and waited, trying to take deep, calming breaths, but it wasn't working. The nausea hit her like a wave; ruthless and completely unstoppable. She, Morgana LeFay-Pendragon, was about to vomit all over the tablecloth of one of the nicest restaurants in London.

Unable to contain it anymore, she abruptly stood up, attempting to head towards the bathroom before she knew she would never make it. Turning, she saw something that was as close to her porcelain kingdom as she was going to get, and promptly expelled all of her previous meals into the nearest ornate planter.

Gentle hands rubbed her back and held her hair, as they often did at home, and when she was through, Morgana sought refuge in the comfort of her lover's warm chest.

Walking back to the table with as much dignity as she could muster (and leaning heavily on Merlin), Morgana was swarmed by Catrina, Cedric and even some of the wait staff.

Uther was standing by the table, looking uncomfortable, but wanting to be in control of the situation. He began peppering Morgana with questions.

"Are you alright? Do you need to see the doctor? Or should we call an ambulance?"

Morgana shook her head, and her eyes begged Merlin to answer for her.

"She's fine, but she should lie down for a little bit." And turning to the restaurant manager, who had come over to see what the commotion was about, Merlin said, "We will be more than willing to pay for any damages rendered to your, er…plant."

Uther ignored Merlin and continued to pester Morgana, who was growing increasingly green and holding onto Merlin all the tighter

"Are you sure you don't want me to take you home in our car?" and that's when Merlin snapped.

"I am her boyfriend, significant other, or whatever the hell it is you want to call me. I love Morgana, and will care for her and see to it that she feels better, alright? She's twenty-eight years old, and doesn't need her father breathing down her neck about every aspect of her life, which includes who she is involved with. Do you honestly think that she is oblivious to the fact that you are setting her up with Cedric over there? She knows, and so do I." He was really angry now, and wanted to say more, but Morgana's grip tightened on his shirt and he knew he needed to get her out of The Chineoba as quickly as possible before they had another repeat incident.

With a curt, "Goodnight, Mr. and Madam Tregor. Mr. Pendragon." Merlin picked up Morgana and carried her off towards the exit, setting her down when they were outside.

After she had relieved herself in the bushes outside of the restaurant, Morgana looked at Merlin and said quietly:

"You were right, again; we should have just stayed home."

**A/N- I am soooooo sorry that this wasn't posted sooner, this week has been completely CRAZY and next week isn't going to be any better, so please don't kill me if I can't update soon! A HUGE thank you goes out to all of the people who favorited, reviewed, and commented on this story! Y'all keep me from feeling like I'm a crazy old cat woman who writes stories that don't make any sense (not that I have anything against crazy old cat women but… ) :D**


	4. Chapter 4: Certainties

**Disclaimer: Colin Morgan does not currently act as my personal butler, therefore, I must not own Merlin**

**Certainty**

'It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog. It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleepin' like a log…'

"Do you find it necessary to _blast_ your music so loudly? You're going to break the speakers on my poor car."

"Maybe Merlin, but you're the one who wants to get a new diesel engine thingie to replace it." Morgana said, fondly patting the seat of the poor car in question.

"Yes, and I don't because my girlfriend happens to love this hunk of junk." Merlin sent Morgana a pointed, almost Gaius-like look.

"Of course I do, it has personality; and memories. Do you remember that time we-"

"I am going to stop you right there to remind you that we will be around my _mother_ within the next forty-five minutes. I swear she has a built in momdar that can sense whenever you're thinking something even slightly perverted. Don't you remember the last time we were there, when you wanted to-"

"Merlin! Yes. Yes, I remember you mother's uncanny knack for interrupting my more explicit thoughts; usually with stories and pictures of you as a baby. You were so cute then…" Morgana's hand absentmindedly drifted to her imperceivably growing stomach, a habit that she had only recently developed but felt so natural.

"As opposed to now?" Merlin wondered, grinning at his girlfriend.

"Now you're sexy." Morgana winked and turned up the volume louder, causing Merlin to roll his eyes as she began to sing along, ever so slightly off-key.

Turning the car down the road that would eventually lead to his childhood home, Merlin's grip tightened on the steering wheel, making his knuckles white.

"Hey love, are you okay?" Morgana reached over and rubbed his shoulder, wishing she could see into his mind and figure out what he was thinking.

"Yeah, just anxious to get there is all."

"Alright then," Morgana let the matter slide, knowing this was not the time to bring up whatever was troubling Merlin.

"Here we are; home sweet home."

And indeed it was; the beautiful house that faced the sea seemed to ooze warmth, safety, and love. Pulling into the drive, Merlin parked his hunk-o'-junk and ran around the side to help Morgana out of the car.

"I'm fine Merlin; you know you don't _have_ to help me out of cars. I am perfectly capable of-"

"Merlin! Oh, I wasn't expecting you until later, yet here you are. Let me look at you." Hunith, Merlin's mother, had come out of the house and was now holding Merlin's face in her hands. "You haven't been skipping meals again, have you? You're as skinny as a twig. And Morgana, darling, how wonderful it is to see you again!"

"Hello, Mrs. Emrys. It's wonderful to see you too. How have you been?" Morgana was pulled into a bone crushing hug that reminded her of her own mother.

"Quite well, thank you for asking. And it's Hunith, dear, remember? Mrs. Emrys is much too formal for family." Hunith finally paused to breathe, and smiled at her son and his girlfriend. "Well, come along inside. We have some catching up to do, I imagine."

"You have no idea." Merlin muttered as he followed his mother into the house.

Morgana had always loved Ealdor; it was a fairly small lodging place, but it was homey, warm, and a world away from anything Morgana had ever grown up with.

Hunith kept everything spic-and-span, but the clean was never uncomfortable. There was The Store downstairs in the living room area, right by the kitchen, which was always cooking up something delicious to eat. Next to that was the eating parlor, where the guests would eat, and a bathroom with a shower. Two of the guest rooms were also downstairs, while three more were upstairs, along with the living quarters of the family.

As of now, there were only two guests; Mrs. Liven, from Bath and Mr. Janet, from Texas, but there were three more people expected to arrive on Sunday. This was a fact that had worried Hunith ever since the reservations had been made, as it would mean that she had nowhere to put Morgana, as all of the rooms would need to be free before the guests' arrival.

She was telling Merlin and Morgana of this problem when Merlin finally said,

"You know mum, Morgana can just stay with me in my room. It's no problem really."

Hunith pondered over this proposition, "But, then you would have to sleep in the same bed. Not that I don't know you already do," she said, holding up her hand to combat the couple's arguments, "but Morgana, what would your parents say if they knew I allowed their daughter to sleep in the same bed as my son before you were married?"

Morgana considered laughing before deciding that it might be considered rude. "I don't think my father would mind."

"He hates me either way, so what you do or don't stop is probably a moot point to him." Merlin added, smiling at Morgana and squeezing her hand.

"Well, as long as you're sure about it. Merlin, why don't you help me take these suitcases upstairs? Morgana, would you please pull that kettle off of the stove? The tea bags are in that cupboard to the right, if you wanted to make us some tea." And with that, Hunith took hold of a suitcase and headed upstairs, Merlin following behind.

Clomping up the steps to his childhood bedroom, Merlin wondered how he was going to tell his mother about her future grandchild.

'_This is scarier than I thought it would be'_ he realized, not that Merlin thought that it would be easy, but still…

"Merlin," Hunith set down the bag she was carrying on the twin sized bed and sat down "I was hoping to postpone this, but we need you back here in Ealdor. Not right now, but sometime soon. I can't do everything all by myself; not anymore. I wouldn't ask, but we can't afford to hire someone to help me without going broke. I know it was my idea to have you go to London, and it breaks my heart to do this to you. I just can't-"

"She's pregnant, mum." Merlin blurted out, sitting next to Hunith on the bed. "Morgana is pregnant, and I don't know what we're going to do."

Hunith looked at her son; he was everything to her. Yes, Ealdor was important; she wouldn't have sacrificed so much if it wasn't. But Merlin was her world, and whatever made him happy would take precedence over what she wanted. She took a breath.

"You'll go back to London then, and live with Morgana there."

"What! Mum, no! I wouldn't do that to you. I couldn't. Perhaps Morgana and I can work something out. Maybe let her have weekdays, and I-"

"No," Hunith cut Merlin off sharply, "absolutely not. I will not have my grandchild shipped back and forth across the United Kingdom for my sake."

"But mum," Merlin objected, reaching for her hands, "you said you needed me back, and I can come back. Really; Morgana and I can work something out don't-"

"I will be just fine, Merlin; for a time, at least." Hunith sighed and ran a hand over her face.

"If you say so, mum. How about this then?" Merlin squeezed Hunith's hands, "After the baby is born, we'll see where we stand, both here and in London. Maybe we will be able to work something out."

"Maybe… Enough of this talk, why don't we go downstairs and see what Morgana has done with the tea?"

"Sure, mum. Give me just a minute." Merlin lay down in his bed, closing his eyes and kneading them with the palms of his hands.

He heard his mother leave, shutting the door behind her. Not five minutes later, he heard another set of footsteps outside of his door.

The feet walked into the room, closing his door with a creak and a click.

"Merlin," Morgana's voice sounded, sitting in Hunith's vacated spot on the bed. "What's the matter? Don't say 'nothing', again. You know how I hate when you do that."

"It's just… I don't know!" Merlin ran a hand through his already unruly hair. "I'm worried about Ealdor, my mother needs me to come back; I can't take care of it and be with you in London."

Morgana shifted on the bed, lying down next to Merlin. "When?"

"Sometime within the next few months; I figure that after the baby is born then we can… I don't know"

"I'm sure there's something we could do…"

Merlin shook his head, "If we want our child to grow up with both of its parents close by, either we give up our jobs in London and move here, or my mother has to sell Ealdor."

"There has to be some other alternative, perhaps a compromise?" Morgana blinked away the tears that had come way too easily, damn pregnancy hormones, "I- I'm sure we can think of something…"

"No, don't you understand Morgana?" Merlin stood up, agitated, and began pacing. "There can be no middle ground in this. I have to choose between the woman I love and my mother; don't you realize how hard this is?"

"Of course I do, Merlin. But this isn't your decision to make alone, is it?" Now Morgana was the agitated one.

"No, but this isn't like your father's business where a person can easily be replaced; Ealdor has always been run by people who value it with their life, and I intend to follow in their footsteps."

"What about me, then? Our baby?" Morgana felt the hot tears running down her face, smearing her mascara. "Do we mean nothing to you?"

"Morgana no, of course not." All of the fight left Merlin as he sat back down, "You both mean so much to me, and it's terrifying. Given the chance, I would marry you, right now. Screw the consequences. But you have your entire life in London; all of your family, all of your friends. I could never take that away from you."

"Just like I could never take Ealdor away from you." Morgana said quietly, sitting up to stroke Merlin's hair. "We will work something out eventually. Until then, I think we should take a break from worrying; our tea is getting cold, and did you see those biscuits on the way in? They look absolutely heavenly."

At this, Merlin had to smile. One could always trust Morgana to sniff out the location of the nearest biscuit, especially now with her heightened sense of smell due to the pregnancy.

"Procrastination always does seem to be the best way to deal with things, I guess." Merlin muttered as he lead Morgana to the kitchen; knowing nothing was on stable and sure footing, but remembering his favorite Benjamin Franklin quote, "In this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes."

**A/N: So tell me, what should happen next? Do Merlin and Morgana move to Ealdor? Does it get sold? Or do they break up, and never want anything to do with each other again? I want your opinions, so comment and tell me! As always, sorry this took so long; the cheese really hit the fan this past week, and everything since then has been total chaos.**

**A/N 2: I am also looking for a Beta for this story and my other one, A Most Interesting Tale. So if you're interested, please shoot me a PM. Good time of day to you all!**


	5. Chapter 5: The Unexpected

**Disclaimer: I own six more days of teacherless freedom, but no Merlin**

**The Unexpected**

"Morgana, could you pass me the soap please?" Hunith asked as she saw Morgana entering the kitchen, the next morning.

"Of course," Morgana reached over and grabbed the bottle, handing it to Hunith who was currently elbow-deep in dishwater. "Do you want me to dry?"

"If you want," came Hunith's reply.

Standing next to her at the sink, Morgana could almost feel Hunith's gaze whenever she handed over a dish. Deciding it wouldn't be prudent to beat about the bush, Morgana began.

"I suppose Merlin told you, then; about the baby."

"Yes, he did." Hunith drained the sink and dried her hands before turning to face Morgana. "And he would have told you about Ealdor."

Morgana nodded, suddenly finding the plate in front of her very interesting.

"I've been thinking about it, and I think we can work something out."

Hunith shook her head, "I don't want you making any sacrifices on my behalf."

"But it won't be for you; or at least, not entirely. Merlin and I knew he would eventually have to come back here. We just ignored the problem, and hoped it would solve itself. Now…" Morgana trailed off.

"Babies have a habit of throwing a wrench in things." Hunith stated with a smile, "Go find Merlin, he was off visiting his father, you know how he gets after that.

Morgana nodded, and gave Hunith a grateful hug before pulling on her coat and heading outside.

Merlin's father, Balinor Emrys, was a wonderful man. Or, at least, that's what Morgana heard.

When Merlin was seventeen, he and his father had traveled to London to pick up some items and to visit Gwen. It was a routine trip, one they made every few months or so. This time, however, was different.

The pair had stayed later than they had anticipated, and on their way home, they were struck by a car that came into their lane going the wrong direction.

The driver was twenty-five year old male who was finishing Grad school, and had a seizure on his way home from the University. It was part of a brain condition that he'd had in his childhood the doctors said was as good as gone. Unfortunately, they were wrong.

It was a head on collision, and neither driver stood a chance. Merlin, who had been sleeping in the backseat, happened to escape with only a broken leg, nine broken ribs, a dislocated arm, and a broken heart.

Though the logical side of Merlin knew the accident was just that, an accident, the more emotional side of him couldn't help but feel the sharp pangs of survivor's guilt. With every birthday, Christmas, and anniversary that passed by, Merlin felt a rush of regret that he had let his father drive on that fateful night. A feeling of regret he suspected would never leave.

Morgana knew this; she knew that though Merlin had a degree in psychology, and indeed, had visited a psychologist himself for several years after Balinor's death, Merlin still hadn't fully forgiven himself.

The walk to the town cemetery was not all that far, and Morgana appreciated the cool morning wind on her face as she set off.

Upon arriving, she spotted Merlin sitting with his back on the tombstone of his father. Talking quietly, and gesturing with his hands, as was his habit.

"…and things are going really well with Gwen and that new guy I told you about, Arthur, Morgana's brother. It may get really serious this time; which is kind of scary, actually. If something goes wrong between them, it could get really awkward, really fast, for everyone. Anyways- Morgana!"

'Oops' Morgana thought, as she walked around the various tomb stones of the deceased inhabitants of Ealdor. She had been trying to approach without Merlin noticing her, but had apparently failed.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," she said, sitting on the patch of grass that Merlin cleared for her next to him.

"It's no big deal, just keeping him updated." Morgana nodded in understanding. At least once a month, she herself could be found in a similar position with her mother, telling her about her everyday life; the minor worries and issues that seem extremely important, but probably weren't. The talking was a therapeutic process for both of them and, as Merlin put it, "As long as we don't expect an answer back, we haven't gone crazy yet."

"I was actually just about to go find you; would you like to go to the Cliffs?"

Morgana consented immediately; the Cliffs were about a ten minutes drive from Ealdor, and the view was spectacular.

She stood on top of the cliff and looked down at the grey sea below; Merlin had wrapped himself around her from behind, and was looking over her shoulder.

"It's so beautiful!" Morgana said, shouting to be heard over the crashing waves and roaring wind.

"Glad you think so," Merlin shouted back, "because I have something important I want to ask you."

He pulled something out of his pocket, then knelt down on one knee.

"Morgana, I love you, no matter what. You know that right?"

Morgana nodded dumbly, was he really going to purpose? Her heart was racing, and the black haired beauty wasn't sure if it was in fear or anticipation.

"So you wouldn't mind holding my handkerchief while I tie my shoes, would you?"

Taking the hankie, Morgana smacked her lover across the head.

"What was that for?" Merlin protested, rubbing sore appendage.

"For leading me on like that! I can't believe that you would do such a thing to me! Crazy ladies with the pregnancy hormones should not be toyed with in such a manner."

Merlin smiled what could only be described as an evil grin before taking his place back behind Morgana.

"If I was going to propose to you, it would not be the cheese 'get down on one knee' thing. I would do it slyly and magically; like I just did."

"Like you just- oh." Morgana was cut off when she noticed for the first time a strange weight on her left ring finger.

"So will you? Marry me, I that is. Because-"

"Merlin," Morgana turned and stared into Merlin's bright blue eyes, "you're not doing this just because I'm pregnant are you?"

"A little bit," Merlin held his finger to Morgana's lips to stop her protests, "but I would have asked you sooner or later anyways. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you; baby or no baby, alright? So, will you marry me, Miss. Morgana LeFay-Pendragon?"

Morgana nodded, tears springing to her eyes; those damn hormones. "Yes, of course I will." She now looked at the ring adorning her finger.

It was a claddagh ring, with two golden hands surrounding a small diamond heart. On the inside of the ring, the name Emrys was written in fancy script.

"Merlin, it's beautiful. Wherever did you-"

"It was my mother's, and my grandmother's before that. It's a family heirloom sort of thing."

"I don't think I've ever seen your mother wear this," Morgana murmured, admiring her new ring on the way back to the car.

"No, probably not. She hasn't worn it since dad died; it was a little too much at the time. When I first brought you to meet her, she gave me that ring and said you were a keeper."

"I always knew I liked your mother." Morgana said, smiling cockily and winking.

"So what do we do now?" Merlin asked, playing with Morgana's hair as she lay across his chest.

"That depends; you could move in with me. There's no reason for us both to have an apartment, and mine is closer to Camelot."

"And we wouldn't have to move all of those shoes." Merlin teased, poking Morgana as she sat up indignantly.

"I don't have that many…" Morgana trailed off as Merlin raised his eyebrows, managing to look like Gaius yet again. "Well if you're going to be that way, then I guess I'll just have to go…" She moved as if to stand up, but was stopped by Merlin's arm around her waist.

"And just where do you think you are going?" He asked in her ear, kissing the side of her neck.

"I forgot," Morgana murmured, melting into his arms.

'RIIIING, RIIIING; RIIIING, RIIIING'

Merlin groaned, "I thought you turned the damn thing off,"

"Shh, it's Arthur." Morgana hissed, immediately worried. The siblings had a pact; no calling while someone was on vacation, as the consequences were dire. If Arthur was calling her today, especially at this hour…

"Hello, Arthur?"

"_Morgana, thank God! You need to come home, _now_."_

"Gwen? What are you doing on Arthur's phone? Is he okay?"

"_It's your father, he's at the hospital. Please come quickly."_

"We'll be right there." Morgana hung up and began getting dressed, leaving all thoughts of her ruined long weekend behind as she scrambled to collect her belongings in order to return home.

"Morgana, what's the matter?" Merlin asked, now thoroughly alarmed.

"It's Uther; he's at the hospital. Hurry up, I want to get there before morning." Morgana tried not to let her fear show through her voice, and if she failed, Merlin didn't let on. After all, he too knew how completely terrifying the unexpected could be as it snuck into your seemingly peaceful life and gave it a good stir.

**A/N: Hi, I know it's been waaaaay too long (please don't kill me) but I've had school, competitions, exhibitions, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer to keep me away from ACoP. Even though I promised myself I would update weekly, it still isn't happening that way, so I'm really sorry! Anyways, I had written the next chapter, and then realized that it didn't flow with the previous chapter, so I wrote this one. THEN Uther went and got sick on me so something in the next chapter would made sense, and it's just snowballed from there :/**

**P.S. OMG THEY'RE GETTING MARRIED! And the whole Balinor back story? That was another one of those "where did that come from?" things that my brain throws in there to keep the rest of me on my toes. Thank you to all of the beautifully handsome people who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story; it makes my day to know that someone actually reads this stuff :D.**


	6. Chapter 6: We the Waiting

**Disclaimer: If I owned it, I would buy time in which I would sleep.**

**We the Waiting**

"Morgana!"

"Arthur!" Morgana ran into her brother's outstretched arms, "We came as quickly as we could, where is he? Is he okay?" she searched Arthur's face, begging for an answer_._

"We don't know yet," Gwen said softly, "come sit down."

"What happened?" Merlin demanded, taking the waiting room loveseat and letting Morgana curl up next to him.

"We were at dinner, and he started coughing and," Arthur's voice broke, "he couldn't stop. He couldn't breathe, he was just…coughing and gasping and making these horrible rattling noises and-"

"Shh" Gwen said, pulling Arthur's head to her chest and rocking it slowly, back and forth. "Shh, the doctors know what they're doing; you're going to be alright."

Morgana reached for Merlin's hand, but found it trembling instead of strong and steady. Still, he kissed her head and held her tightly, as if his whole reality would slip away if she wasn't there. Not that Morgana minded; that's how she felt too.

"I'm looking for the family of Uther Pendragon."

The two couples leapt to their feet, fingers still entwined, and worried glances shared before facing the young nurse who was clutching his clipboard as if it was his life line.

"You are Arthur and Morgana Pendragon, I assume? " Morgana and Arthur nodded solemnly, though it was Gwen who spoke.

"How is he?" She asked, guarding her expression upon seeing the nurse's face, recognizing it as the face one used when bad news had to be delivered.

"He's stable, for now. The doctors think he might need a blood transfusion in a few hours, and were wondering if any of his relatives had a similar blood type. Transfusions from people in the same family are usually easier for the body to process." The nurse looked at the patient's children who were obviously worried about their father, and hoped for their sake that one of them was a match.

Morgana had become pale and sat back down on the loveseat, her hand unconsciously rising to stroke her stomach, trying hard not to let her emotions show.

Arthur was distressed as well, but was quickly snapped out of his revere by a random memory from when Morgana was in college.

"Morgana, you and Father have the same blood type! Remember from when you went to donate blood and…." He trailed off when he realized his sister was crying.

"I can't." She whispered, "I'm so sorry, Arthur, but I really can't"

"And why in the hell not?" Arthur yelled before getting on his knees in front of his sister, pulling her face to meet his and forcing her to look in his eyes. "I know you and Father have had your problems, but please, _please_ put that aside, just for now."

"I would, but Arthur; they won't let me. I'm pregnant."

Her older brother sat back in shock, staring in disbelief at the woman who was once the annoying eleven year old girl who would steal his futball equiptment and rearrange his room, trying to reconcile on how they were one and the same, hardly believing that what she said could be true.

"What- How long…?"

"Almost four months," Morgana looked to Merlin, who nodded quietly and gave her a smile. "We were going to tell you next week when we announced our engagement, but…"

Merlin moved to sit down next to his fiancé, but was stopped by Arthur's unsteady hand on his shoulder as he once more looked at his younger sibling.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" He asked, searching Morgana's face with his piercing blue eyes, causing her to flinch at the pain and betrayal swimming in their depths.

"I- I wasn't sure, and then I didn't know how you would react; what you would say. I was scared, Arthur. I'm so, so sorry! I just-"Her hard exterior broken, Morgana fell into her brother's opened arms, bitterly remembering a childhood filled with times such as these; when some sort of incident with Uther drove her to tears, leaving Arthur to calm her down.

Gwen turned to give the two more privacy and noticed the nurse still standing awkwardly two meters away, looking as if he would gladly kill to be away from this demonstration of extreme emotion.

"Is there anything else you need?" she asked kindly, giving the young man a small smile.

"No ma'am, I'll just inform the doctor that there are no eligible family members. It shouldn't be too much of a problem; he has a fairly common blood type."

"Thank you," Gwen murmured, "please keep us updated."

With a curt nod, the nurse was off, and Merlin turned to Gwen.

"Are you alright?" he asked, searching his best friend's face.

"Aside from the fact that my best friend is engaged _and_ five months from being a daddy, without telling me, no less…"

"Gwen," Merlin whined, "you're the one who used to go on, and on, and on about how ridiculous it is for women to go running around telling everyone they're pregnant the same day that they took the test."

"And I stand by that, as long as it doesn't concern you, or someone else that I care about." She smiled, "So what about you? Are you holding up alright?"

But Merlin was saved from answering by Morgana's slightly choked call for him to come back and comfort her.

The quartet next received news on Uther's condition at 5:32 am, which Merlin felt was entirely too early to be conscious and dealing with such serious issues, but no one had asked him what his opinion was.

Morgana had fallen asleep less than thirty minutes after her big revelation, but Merlin had been unable to get calmed down enough to do anything more than doze, humming some song about 'Are We the Waiting' which he supposed they were.

With the arrival of the man Merlin assumed to be the doctor, he gently shook Morgana awake, pulling her off of his chest and brushing her long black hair out of her face.

"The family of Uther Pendragon?"

"That's us!" Arthur exclaimed, jumping up and jarring Gwen, who had been resting her head on his shoulder.

"How is he?" Merlin asked, his voice scratchy due to the acute thirst he had been fighting for well over an hour.

"Stable; he will be ready for visitors soon. In the mean time, I have some questions for you concerning Mr. Pendragon's health in the last year or so. Have any of you noticed if he is more easily out of breath, fatigued, or coughing excessively?"

"No, he was perfectly healthy!" exclaimed Morgana, completely unaware of the surreptitious glances shared between her brother and friends.

"There was that one instance at the End of Summer party." Merlin started quietly.

"And that episode at your birthday dinner," Gwen said, laying a sympathetic hand on Morgana's shoulder, but was quickly shaken off.

"He never told us that he was feeling ill," Morgana began again, looking to her brother for support, "if it was serious he would have told us, right?"

"You were _pregnant_ and you didn't tell anyone until just now! I somehow think that doesn't leave any room for you to judge." Snapped Arthur impatiently, "Besides, you of all people know Father is a private person, even to us."

Morgana's jaw dropped, and Gwen cut in smoothly.

"It was not evident to any of us that Uther was suffering from more than a cold or mild congestion. Is there anything else?"

Merlin moved so he was standing behind Morgana and began to rub her shoulders, half-heartedly listening to the various people talking around him, talking to the nurse about Uther's every-day life for the past few months.

It was then that it struck him; no one had called Catrina.

Though her presence was somewhat resented among the Pendragon siblings, Catrina had become their father's newest… girlfriend, for lack of a better word, and the two seemed to be happy together.

Merlin knew that his next plan of action may leave him on the couch, but it was the right thing to do; for Catrina, if no one else.

"I'll be right back; I've got to visit the loo." Merlin whispered into Morgana's ear, acknowledged by an almost unnoticeable nod of her head, then turned and made his way towards the hospital bathrooms, ducking behind a wall not too far away so that he could make his call.

_6:05_ blinked the little numbers on Merlin's cell phone as he scrolled through his contact list until he found the entry of _Tregor, Catrina_. Heonce again thanked his mother for reminding him that "it is always useful to know someone's phone number; you never know when you'll need it."

The phone rang three times before being picked up.

"_Hello? Who is this?"_

"Mrs. Tregor, this is Merlin Emrys, Morgana Pendragon's boyfriend."

"_Why are you calling at this hour of the morning? I will have you know that this is quite indecent! How did you even get a hold of this num-"_

"Mrs. Tregor, Uther has been hospitalized. He is alright now, and can be seen soon. I thought you might like to know."

There was silence on the other end of the line, then;

"_I will be right over. Thank you."_

"You're welcome." Merlin said, ending the call and leaning against the wall, feeling the excitement of the night catch up with him and allowing himself an exhausted sigh before heading back to his previous spot behind Morgana, more than aware of the trouble he may have just caused.

**A/N: Hi, I'm sorry about the late update (please don't eat me!) but this chapter totally hit a roadblock, and I really need some reader input! I'm thinking of having Uther being sick as the underlying B-plot, but I don't know what to diagnose him with, (I'm thinking lung cancer, but that seems kind of predictable) and I don't know how he should react to Morgana's pregnancy. I have a scene written out that was supposed to be part of last chapter, but then it gave me inspiration for last chapter, which led to this one, and now the scene doesn't fit :/ Also, is Merlin too serious? What do you think of Catrina? I don't think she'll be evil… or should she? Any advice or love is greatly appreciated and I do update faster when I get more comments (hint hint :)**


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